Would anyone care for a bit of the Opposition View?
Taken from ShrimperZone. If anyone can be arsed to wade through Twitter, good luck to them
Chairman Trigg said:
Wycombe showed us exactly how we should have played.Energy ,passion ...closed us down and pressured throughout the whole game.We were gutless ,clueless and a team of individuals who apart from a couple of players...couldn't care less.
Blame for me starts with the worst midfield in living memory,and Ron's /CP decision not to strengthen this area in the Jan transfer window when you could see relegation appearing on the horizon.
Whatever you think about Steve Evans would he have tolerated a display like that today...the players should be ashamed
Another Surrey Shrimper said:
I felt that orange wasn't really Akenfenwe's colour, made him look fat.
I don't really want to talk about anything else that happened today.
Chris Powell’s mate said:
Due largely to the fact he is. Actually, I have to admire him for playing in the Football League - never mind League One.
Imagine, if you didn't know him and he turned up to play for your park team one Sunday?
Wickford Blue said:
Akinfenwa - 8 goals in 12 games against us! Sooner her retires the better!
Smiffy’s Best Man said:
It’s no surprise that Wycombe are relegation contenders. They were poor. And that alone, should sum up how good we were.
Flovall Flyer said:
How the hell did we let an overweight, slow, clumsy 36 year old score twice? Akinfenwa is a Sunday League player, he cannot head the ball he cannot control the ball, he was given so much leniency by the ref it was unbelievable.
Stuart W said (about Akinfenwe):
He's a f*** sight better than anything we've got up front.
Southendkid said (same theme):
He's not fat, he's just ridiculously muscular, this is him shirtless:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8yK-ACX2o68/UP23XeqRPeI/AAAAAAAAAC4/rvT_NzChoTE/s1600/Bayo.jpg
Davewebbsbrain said (in reply to Stuart W):
Can't disagree with that
CM2 Blue said:
Like everyone else I was massively disappointed with our performance today. ‘No one ever drowned in sweat’, Lou Holz an American college football coach once said and there was never a chance of that today! We were outplayed and outfought by a poor Wycombe team that was nevertheless much better than we were and thoroughly deserved the win. We never threatened, didn’t play constructive, passing football and so never looked like getting the win we surely targeted.
Fitz said (another replying to Stuart W):
No he’s not, but he has a team around him that played with passion, commitment and set him up to take two very well taken chances. Only Hart, Humphreys and Cox came out of the game with any credit.
Spaceman Spiff (and by the Wycombe fan he was sitting with in the North Stand was me):
To add insult to injury, I was in the North Stand with the Wycombe fans, as I was with a mate from work. I didn’t mind, i really thought we might be better this time - but no, total wet spineless crap left me surrounded by wild celebrations when I hated the world. Our players should try being a fan and seeing what we see from the stands, but they couldn’t give a **** and probably wouldn’t then either. Most of this shower of **** need shipping out at the end of the season - and good luck to them getting other clubs, they don’t deserve a contract in the Southern League let alone the Southend team.
GBJ said (in reply to Spaceman Spiff)
Please pass this message onto your friend from me...
As significant as it may be for our season, the feeling of losing today still won’t come anywhere close to the feeling he would have had, seeing The Pig slam home that Barry Corr knockdown in the 122nd minute, in front of 20,000 Shrimpers. Nor will it come anywhere near as close as that penalty save from Daniel Bentley
Lots of love GBJ Xx
[Editor’s note – he’s wrong]
Rayleigh boy said:
as i left the ground walking along the pitch in front of the East stand I noticed the WW manager Ainsworth sitting in the back row of the dug out - alone - totally drained looking - taking in a big moment in his career. Just quietly recovering from what had clearly been for him a massive game and a highly intense experience .... a guy completely committed to a club who had ground out a significant result..
good on him - it looked like that he had given everything as I think his team did –
OldBlueLady said:
I thought the first half was quite even, Dieng and White or Lennon were doubling up on Akinfenwa and getting him rattled - and it worked for that first 45 minutes. Whatever changed at half time which meant that was no longer the case, is the reason Bayo was able to score two goals against us.
We all knew he'd score today though, didn't we? He always does, and you can't begrudge him it because he knows the score, he takes the abuse from the crowd and turns it on its head. I would LOVE him to have signed for us a few seasons back when he left Wimbledon.
Comments
Cheers @OakwoodExile - a pretty fair bunch on balance. I actually feel for them, as they have had a pretty similar soul-destroying run as us, it sounds like, after sitting pretty.
However, the gent who stated that Bayo was given too much leniency by the ref needs to be committed, immediately. It is dangerous to have that kind of deranged perspective out in public!
Really interesting comment about Ainsworth sitting alone in the dugout taking everything in. It's not 'just another job' for him is it? Much as we feel we are going through a rollercoaster of emotions watching, I'm sure the feelings are even more extreme for him and the last few weeks must have been draining. Pleased for him more than anyone tonight.
Thank you
Their Twitter feed is in a similar vein.
They were indeed very poor in all aspects
Really appreciate the effort pulling that together @OakwoodExile.
And everything I ever hear or read about Gareth Ainsworth adds to my respect for him as a person. He may have some faults (as I see them) with his approach to how the team play from time to time (the ‘dark arts’) but he clearly gives everything, cares immensely, remains dignified and however poor our recent results have been I could never imagine the types of comments about lack of effort from one of his teams.
He will be a very very hard act to follow
Great stuff, feel the need to credit all the folks of Essex on sea for being very chatty, friendly and helpful with directions , Blue Boar was great pre-game.
I've got a Southend friend at work too and he confirmed most of their fans believe they are awful bordering on having given up. Not something that can be levelled at our team, management or fans based on the last few games, however this plays out. If we stay up I think yesterday will be one of those moments we remember.
Now how much expense / hassle will Rochdale away be but seriously considering it now.
Massive thanks OakeoodExcile I really miss Vitals opposition view, please continue the good work for the run on??
One thing I will say for the Shriper fans they have some great nome de plumes.
Totally agree, thanks @OakwoodExile .. I miss this every week
Though on the flip side, would you have wanted to read the views of Oxford fans after that last game?
Thanks for the kind words. I happened to be registered on ShrimperZone because I did the opposition view (preview) for them for our home game earlier this season. Spaceman Spiff who sat with us yesterday is one of their mods.
I'll be happy to do this again for Rochdale, whose forum doesn't appear to require registration, but only if we win or draw.
Flovall Flyer is the sort of idiot I really can’t stand. How can you describe Bayo as a ‘slow, clumsy, overweight Sunday league player who can’t control the ball (!) and can’t head the ball (!!)’ ? Does this dunderhead not know how difficult it is to become a professional football player, let alone someone who has enjoyed a career like Bayo’s? I don’t mind constructive criticism, but these sort of comments are just absurd.
Probably comments born from frustration about their performance/result rather than honest perception @glasshalffull!
Southend fan here, wish our players had the same commitment as yours ( 5 excluded) hope you stay up I’ve had some great away days at your club. Some negative comments and positive about Bayo, hope it was noticed that after some banter about his chest from the West stand the majority applauded him for his reply, and when he was substituted many Southend fans applauded him off. Say again hope you stay up and if Bayo and Gareth need a job! Hope to see you in a few seasons if we can dump most of our spineless overpayed *ankers
Good to hear from you @southend and thank you for your kind words. The prospects don’t look great for Southend but you never know. The fat lady and all that.
Except for being on the end of almost every ball, knocking it on expertly, excellent passing, geeing up the team and being able to score on the deck as well as his dome...bayo is crap.
Wendoverman, you forgot a inspiration and great character, micro wish I was positive as you
The shrimpers I went to the match with both betting men are already discussing the L2 grounds they will be visiting next year. There is a chance but when you compare the run-ins they maybe needed the points more than we did!
@Southend fingers crossed your boys had a look at a team desperate to win and it gave them some ideas. Getting a decent ball to cox might help!
If you could get 4 points against Walsall and Rochdale (as I’m hoping we will) and we could both survive! Ironic that we both have to play those two.
Cox has been one of the few players who has been 110% committed this season, he’s best with the ball at his feet at about 5”10, our game plan hoof it up to him. Most clubs and supporters at our level are decent, shame to see anyone go. Remember how great it was after Wembley and felt really sorry for your fans, look at us now, but again all the best to WW
You're a credit to your club sir, especially given there are fans of other clubs who prefer to come here to dish out abuse (not to name names, but their clubs may rhyme with Gooton and Brymouth).
I feel for you - our 12 games without a win was soul destroying, and I don't wish that on anyone. It speaks well of you that you would come on here and be decent through such disappointment.
For such a wordsmith like yourself, that's a criminal mixup of the terms ironic and coincidental
It’s like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife.
Well said Southend, to put it into perspective most of the comments on your forum were sensible, it was just that ridiculous one about Akinfenwa that bugged me. I have a lot of time for your club going back many years and I echo the sentiment that I hope you stay up.
Now it is irony to slate Akinfenwa as not being able to play football when he's just scored 2 and smashed their team
Irony can also be used to describe an unlikely event or coincidence. As in this case.
The trouble with your example @Malone is that the person describing Bayo was not intending to be ironic. But I take your point and appreciate the “wordsmith” description.
Five thumbs up @southend. Highest on here I can recall.
Someone in Cornwall once gave me five thumbs up.